Syrian army command tells officers that Assad’s rule has ended, officer says

– Syria’s army command has informed officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year dictatorial rule has ended, a Syrian officer briefed on the move told Reuters, citing the rebels’ rapid offensive. The latter surprised the world. Syrian rebels said Damascus was “now free from Assad”. The leader, who previously crushed all forms of dissent, left Damascus on Sunday for an undisclosed destination, two senior army officers told Reuters., as the rebels said they entered the capital without deploying troops. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus on Sunday for an undisclosed destination, two senior military officers told Reuters. In thousands of cars and vehicles. Witnesses said they gathered on foot in a central square in Damascus, waving and chanting “freedom.” The plane initially flew toward the Syrian coast, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect., but then made a sudden U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing from the map. Hadi al-Bahra al-Shami, head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad, also announced Sunday that Damascus is now “Bashar al-Assad.” As Syrians cheered, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he was ready to support the continuation of the regime and to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people. areThe fronts of Syria’s complex civil war had been dormant for years. Then, once al-Qaida-affiliated Islamists suddenly moved in, the biggest challenge to Assad, who had survived years of brutal war and international isolation with the help of Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. focused on his allies and weakened by other crises, suddenly leaving Assad at the mercy of his opponents. A few hours before arriving in Damascus., rebels announced they had taken full control of the key city of Homs after just one day of fighting, leaving Assad’s 24-year rule hanging by a thread. Thousands of residents took to the streets, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad”. Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths Tore down posters of the Syrian president